The phenomenal growth of mobile phones, Facebook and Twitter usage this last year should prove the value of social media to all marketers. Mobile phones have rapidly become the main communication tool for both personal and business use, and these users are embracing social media in droves.
Chew on some of these recent mobile stats:
* Facebook access via mobile browser grew 112% in the past year & Twitter access grew 347% (From January 2010 Social Networking via mobile data)
* Mobile online shopping in the US rose from $396 million in 2008 to $1.2 billion in 2009 (From ABI Research’s Mobile Commerce study)
Mobile is changing the way your current and potential customers search. It’s no longer all about searching from a desktop or laptop at home or work. Searchers use social media, and with exciting barcode technology and a plethora of applications being downloaded, “searching” can now even happen outside the browser.
The Retail Advertising and Marketing Association (RAMA) just released some insightful research about how mobile subscribers are interacting with social networks they access from their phones. Here are some highlights from Social Media: An Inside Look at the People Who Use It:
* Men who use social media are much more likely than women to be influenced by internet advertising (32.8% vs. 24.1%), instant messaging (12.0% vs. 7.2%) and blogs (14.3% vs. 10.4%)
* Facebook is the preferred network for both sexes, no matter what age
* Young adults 18-34 are more compelled by online tools like Facebook, blogs, IM & text messaging:
* 71.8% of social media users spread the word about a product/service in face-to-face conversations:
* 20.6% of social media users SEEK purchase advice from others, while 34.7% give advice about products or services (LOL – isn’t that just human nature to want to GIVE advice more than receive it?)
So…how are you adjusting marketing strategies in this fast growing and ever-changing landscape? Are you actively engaging customers on a regular basis via Twitter? Do you have a Facebook Fan page for your business yet? Is there a unique or compelling application you could develop that will generate revenue or increase awareness for your product/service?
And what are you doing on the search side of things? Did you know the following about AdWords:
* Target campaigns by “device”, either targeting desktop and laptop computers, or iPhones and other mobile devices that use full browsers
*Google just released an application that allows mobile users to see whether items are in stock at nearby stores
*Add a phone number that will be displayed whenever your ad is triggered, regardless of the user’s location
*Published case studies about other companies testing out mobile